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Dog Saved After Sickening Act Of Cruelty Won't Stop Wagging His Tail

A young golden retriever who had been attacked and left for dead is in remarkably high spirits on the road to recovery - despite being the victim of an unimaginable act of cruelty.

Warning: Graphic images below

The dog, believed to be just over a year old, was found wandering on a California roadway earlier this week with a deep, bleeding wound across much of his body. Rescuers believe that someone had intentionally poured battery acid, or another caustic chemical, across the dog's back, which left him on the verge of death with third-degree burns.

Fortunately, the dog was found in the nick of time and rushed to the Animal Medical Center of Southern California for emergency treatment on his injuries. There, veterinarian Alan Schulman was stunned to discover that, even after the attack on his body, the dog's sweet spirit was unbroken.

"The fact that this guy still trusts people, wags his tail and will let us treat him considering the horrendous way that some person hurt him, is absolutely remarkable," Schulman told the news station.

The dog has since been given the name Fergus, an Irish word meaning "powerful" - and although he's still early in his recovery, it's already proven to be a fitting moniker:

"He is responding very well to the antibiotics and medicines for the burns," the golden retriever rescue group wrote on Facebook. "The vet said he is really doing beautifully for what was done to him. Although you can still see the fear in his eyes. He is a loving, forgiving boy, and in time all his wounds, inside and out will heal."

It's unclear if the person responsible for the chemical attack will ever be found to pay for their sickening crime, but Schulman, who says he's treated too many dogs with similar injuries, told NBC Los Angeles justice should be harsh:

"I'd be the first one to line up and hold him down and pour whatever chemical he poured on this dog right over him."